Easy ideas for bringing people together

We’re proud that many organizations and leaders use VolunteerSpot year after year. Whether you're organizing swim meet volunteers, a race or fun-run, field day, or a carnival fundraiser -- one of our most helpful features is the ability to DUPLICATE last year's volunteer spots to this year's activity WITHOUT reentering detailed information about jobs, shifts and things to bring. Here's how to start fresh with a new activity for this year:

Duplicate your activity

The yellow (+) button located within your activity list in the MyActivities tab lets you quickly copy any past activity's schedule. This feature is helpful in planning a new season of tournaments, carnivals and big events!

IMPORTANT:

All activity plan details and dates will be duplicated.

Individual assignments and group rosters will NOT be duplicated.

You will be the Primary organizer of the new activity.

Once duplicated, please open the NEW activity and COPY dates forward to this year's current dates. Then DELETE the days in the past. This step is important for saving computer memory and keeps your activity running quickly on VolunteerSpot.

You can always edit and make changes to the ToDo/Bring items after you copy.

Don’t Be “Fooled” When It Comes To Fundraising – Be Social Media Savvy!

What’s free, fast and friendly and can make a difference in publicizing both your fundraising event as well opportunities to participate? SOCIAL MEDIA! Don’t be a “fool” this April and overlook the wide array of social media tools you have at your disposal. It’s time to capitalize on social media to help us all make a bigger difference when fundraising for our nonprofits, groups and schools!

Focusing on the basics, here are unique ideas and top tips for promoting your fundraiser with social media. Ready, Set, Go!

Twitter: Does your school or nonprofit have a twitter account? Are parents, volunteers, donors and advocates following you? When it comes to your fundraising event, use Twitter to:

1. Recruit volunteers! Be specific and timely in requesting volunteers. You can easily detail in 140 characters or less the days, times and locations of available volunteer opportunities. Consider including a link to your online sign up page and don’t forget important hashtags like your area, i.e. #yourtown, and name of your event, i.e. #WestElemCarnival. Folks looking for events in their community can find you in a search that way, expanding your reach even further.

2. Promote Your Event! Catch followers’ eyes with a declamatory/call to action tweet like “Can’t Miss This . . ,” “Help make a difference this Saturday,” etc. Link to your event webpage or your online giving page 25% of the way through your tweet; tweeters are more likely to click through a link when it is towards the beginning of a tweet, not the end. Ask your followers to RT your tweet, multiplying your reach exponentially as followers of your followers are notified of the event!

3. Thank volunteers, sponsors and donors BEFORE your event even takes place. Make sure to have their correct twitter handle and send out individual tweets thanking them for their time commitment and support – be sure to share how excited your organization is for the event!

4. Give follower’s who can’t attend your event a chance to still give back! Set up your online giving page and link to it in a tweet. Make sure to give specific details about how funds raised will be used.

* * *

Facebook: This social media tool may be even more prominent within your giving community and therefore can make a bigger impact!

1. In addition to recruiting volunteers and publicizing your event with posts and links to your event webpage (similar to that detailed above in twitter section), Facebook allows you to catch even more eyes with photos and videos right in your post! Consider filming and posting a volunteer recruitment video, capturing fun helping out time and don’t forget to link to your online sign up page so volunteers can choose days, times, and jobs to commit their time to which they are interested in!

2. Amplify your reach by asking fans of your event page to ‘share’ your videos and photos on their own wall, to ‘like’ and ‘comment’ on your posts about the event, encouraging more people to see the update in their friends’ feeds, as well as ‘like’ your event or fan page.

3. Tag volunteers, supporters and sponsors in your Thank You facebook posts so they’re notified of the recognition and their own friends can see the update in their feeds.

* * *

Unique Ideas - Pinterest: This relatively new social media platform is a fun new way to promote your event. Consider creating boards dedicated to your event specifically, to volunteer recognition or to sponsor appreciation. Link and publicize these boards on your other social media channels as well as through email, eNewsletters, and your organization’s website!

Bringing the Three “R’s” to Your Carnival

Thinking about carnivals brings to mind grinning kids with hands sticky from cotton candy gripping bags full of “junky” plastic prizes, running wildly past overflowing trash cans. You can “green up” this scene by applying the Three R’s to your carnival planning: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

You can go all out and plan an Earth Day eco-carnival, like the Seatuck Nature Center in Islip, New York, or just use “green” principles to enhance your annual event. Either way you’ll find you also save something else green, money!

Reduce

Reducing has two components, buying less and wasting less. Part of wasting less is careful planning and good record-keeping. Keep notes on what you buy and how much you use. Next year’s carnival committee will thank you!

Buying less means finding alternative sources for the supplies you’ll need. Here are a few ideas:

Ask local grocery stores if they would donate reusable bags to use as loot bags. It is good advertising for them and the bags will be useful rather than disposable.

Give out larger redemption prizes so there are fewer small “junky” prizes going home. I have a guide to planning for redemption prizes on my website, schoolcarnivals.com2.

Feature some games that have no prizes but are just fun to play, like a karaoke booth, dunk tank, or sponge throw.

Ask other schools or churches in your area if they have games you could borrow. When they have an event, you can return the favor.

Reuse

Everything you reuse is one less thing to buy. From games to prizes, think of how you can get what you need from what your community already has:

Instead of buying or renting games, make them out of reused materials. You can find examples online by searching on “recycled carnival games,” or look to organizations in your community for ideas. For example, Imago for Earth in Cincinnati, Ohio is putting on a class in April on how to make carnival games completely out of recycled materials.

Make it a school-wide challenge to invent and build games. Your school’s Science Club or Destination Imagination team could help with creative ideas.

If you are going with an eco-theme, ask local environmental organizations if they would like to create a game for your carnival.

Get crafty with your junk and have a craft booth where the kids make items out of recycled materials. Disney’s FamilyFunhas over a hundred ideas online, or just search on “recycling crafts.”

Have kids bring in unopened fast food toys to stock your prize area.

Have a “bring one, take one” book exchange booth.

Recycle

Despite your best efforts to reduce and reuse, there will be some waste that is generated by your event. You can minimize the impact of that waste by planning ahead for recycling:

Your county may be able to provide recycling containers. Make sure you have enough containers and that they are clearly labeled.

Ask your food vendors if they use compostable materials and if they can supply bins for food composting and packaging recycling.

Selling bottled water and soft drinks can be a good money-maker for an event, but so can recycling the empty cans and bottles. If your committee is maxed out with carnival planning, consider asking a sports team or service group to handle the recycling effort. At the large Punahou School Carnival in Honolulu, Hawaii, the school’s Rifle Team heads up a massive recycling effort as their main fundraiser of the year.

Now think about all that your carnival could be, a teaching tool for green practices – with kids still running wildly with fun prizes and having a fantastic time. The sticky cotton candy is up to you!

About the Author:

Sandy Iwata has been sharing carnival ideas on her website, SchoolCarnivals.com, for ten years. In response to requests for sources of carnival items, she started the online store Schoolcarnivals To Go to supply carnival games, prizes, and supplies. In their own effort to “go green,” the Schoolcarnivals To Go catalog is now only available online. You can find more carnival planning ideas on her popular Facebook page, Schoolcarnivals To Go.

Here are some templates, guides and helpful resources for coordianting your volunteers and saving TIME & ENERGY doing so!

1. Ask for help! Let volunteers know how they can help by using volunteer management software to setup spots by time and category. You can organize your event by shifts (when you need people), or by jobs (what you need them to do), i.e. registration, set-up, concessions, ticket sales, clean-up.

4. Sit back and relax! With VolunteerSpot, volunteers can sign up at their convenience 24/7 from their computer or smartphone. Organizers can check the status of their sign ups real-time, print reports, message volunteers with updates and more! VolunteerSpot also boosts volunteer participation by issuing automatic confirmation and reminder messages regarding a volunteer's committment. Take a video tour and run a demo today!

With spring break right around the corner for most of us, I thought Tidy Thursday should address this pivotal {read: awesome} time on the calendar.

Spring Break :: Questions

Moms are asked

do you look forward to or dread Spring Break?

Kids are asked

what are you doing for spring break?

Caretakers are asked

do you have extended hours for spring break?

But what are Volunteers asked?

does this mean you'll have more time on your hands?

{{collective chuckle from the masses inserted here}}

Spring Break :: Projects

Moms dream of decluttered bedrooms

Kids dream of sleeping in

Caretakers dream of a lighter load

Volunteers dream of all expense paid vacations

Spring Break :: Time Management

But the truth is, if you want to get the most out of your spring break it's best to consider some time management skills.

Getting everyone on board is truly the first step.

Pull out a calendar

Fill in everyone's comittments

Look for pockets of free time

Discuss wish lists {Moms declutter projects, time with friends for the kiddos, cleaning up volunteer records or prepping for new projects}

Get real with what can and can't be accomplished

Schedule the free time {this protects it from looking available}

Now go have fun {or declutter or relax or ...}

Most importantly, find what works best for you. No one likes to look back on a chunk of time and feel as though it has passed without intention ~ even if that intention is to "fall off the radar" for 5 days.

Get Outside and Do Some Good!

Spring is officially here and recent above average temperatures across the nation indicate it's going to be a hot one. Enjoy the pleasant weather and get out and do some good with these 20 sun-friendly ideas for lending a hand and volunteering this beautiful SPRING season!

1. Neighborhood Clean Up:Care for the earth around you by gathering friends, neighbors, team or troop mates and organizing a community clean up.

2. Run a 5k/charity walkathon: Make giving back and doing good even healthier! Gather girlfriends and participate in an athletic event where registration proceeds are donated to a good cause.

3. Disaster Relief: Severe weather has affected a large amount of the nation within the past year – encourage your volunteer group to donate a day of clean up or rebuilding for an affected nearby town. Alternative: Collect school supplies and donate to hard-hit school.

4. Bake Sale: Whether it’s your school, church or nonprofit, chances are goodies are up for grabs this spring! Check out our free ebook and recipe ideas on Pinterest and get cookin’!

5. Beautify the green space of a local shelter: Grab bright colored flowers and spend a day tending to some weeding, mulching and brightening up a local homeless shelter’s yard or walkway.

6. Plan a picnic with an elderly neighbor: Fashion a yummy meal-to-go and pack away with drinks and napkins in an ol’ picnic basket. Surprise an elderly neighbor with a quick meal out in the sun, whether in a nearby park or even the front yard!

7. Offer to help at the outdoor school carnival: Parent volunteers are a MUST to pull off a large fundraiser like a school carnival – offer a few hours to help set up, run booths, sell tickets/concessions, or clean up. Organizers, save time with free online sign up sheets!

8. Lemonade Stand: Kids love this novelty fundraiser that can be set up right in the yard. Great for practicing math and getting to know the neighbors; consider donating the profits to a local organization!

9. Lend a hand at the town’s spring festival: Check out your Chamber of Commerce’s webpage and see if volunteer needs are posted for seasonal events, i.e. festivals, free concerts.

10. Animal shelter/adoption event: Contact your local humane shelter and ask if you can help at the next outdoor adoption event whether it’s transporting animals, bathing and grooming, or just helping handle animals as potential adopters visit.

11. Community garden: Does your school or local charity manage a charity garden? Spring time means prepping the beds – from weeding to tilling and mulching, there is lots of work to be done. Find out if you can help and get the kids in on the outside fun!

12. Coaching: Sports lovers can donate their time and make a difference in the life of any child with free coaching sessions – think outdoor sports like tennis, swimming, soccer and softball!

13. Volunteer at Field Day: Annual Field Day at school is sure to be a memorable event – get in on the fun by volunteering your time to set up, time races, manage stations, hand out snacks, or clean up.

14. Get in on the Easter Ggg Hunt: This age-old tradition is a fantastically fun way to get outside and enjoy the weather. Volunteer to help fill or hide eggs and chaperone kids during the hunt!

15. Building houses: Contact your local Habitat for Humanity and find out if there are open volunteer spots for your group to help one weekend building a home for a deserving family.

16. Pool Party Food Drive: The next time you host a pool party, ask for canned and non-perishable food donations for “entry.” Donate the collected goods to a local food bank. Alternative: for your kid’s next birthday party ask for food donations instead of gifts!

17. Sign up to help at school: Whether it’s chaperoning an end of the year field trip or keeping watch at recess, there are multiple ways to get involved at your child’s school and get some sun too!

18. Join in your organization’s spring work day: When you get the email to help at your church or nonprofit’s spring work day, don’t delete – say YES!

19. Plant a tree!: Contact your local Arbor Day Foundation group and find out what your town or city will be doing this year for Arbor Day. Get dirty and plant a tree!

20. Volunteer with wildlife and nature: Call up your local wildlife museum, nature center or parks department and ask what needs they will have this spring season. Work with your group to spread the nature love with a little of your own sweat.

5 Easy Steps to Put Together a Science Fair Project Board

The science fair project is due next week, you’ve spent time researching, hypothesizing, experimenting and discovering… now, how do you pull it all together?

If you still need help finding a project or working on your project, read my post from last year with Five Simple Steps to Get Started with your science fair project.

I coordinate my school’s science fair, and the second most asked question (after what project should I do?) is ‘How do I put together my project board?’ Here are five easy steps to follow to make your board both beautiful and informative:

1. First, start with a board. The popular three-paneled science fair board is found at many craft stores like Hobby Lobby. They come in a variety of colors. While you are picking out a board, grab a package of letter stickers or some colorful markers. This will help add creativity and design to really make your board pop.

2. While you are working on your project, take notes on the computer or a piece of paper. Write it down and type it up as you go, so when you are done, you will have all of your text ready to stick down.

3. Take a lot of pictures before, during and after your project. Take pictures of your materials, your experiment and your results.

4. Laying out a project board is easy when you think about it in the steps that you took to perform your experiment. Starting on the upper left side, layout your project as you did it, leaving space in the upper middle panel for your eye-catching title, name and grade. A good science fair project includes the following:

BIG QUESTION: What are you trying to find out?

HYPOTHESIS: An “I think ... “ statement. What do you think will happen?

MATERIALS: A list of supplies for your experiment

VARIABLE: Something that changes in your experiment

PROCEDURE: The steps you take to run your tests

DATA: A graph or chart that shows the results of your test

BIG DISCOVERY: What happened? Explain your results

CONCLUSION: So what? What did you learn?

I WONDER: What does your experiment make you wonder about?

5. Finally, glue and secure everything down on the board.

Keep in mind that this is just a guide. Schools and teachers have their own requirements and guidelines. Make sure you follow their rules first.

Susan Wells is a mom of two girls, ages 6 and 10. She organizes the Science Fair at her daughters’ elementary school and loves to bring science into their lives in and outside of the classroom. Susan does social media, blogging, blogger outreach and web marketing for Steve Spangler Science.

Organizing a Bake Sale - Easy as Pie

The "bake sale" is a novelty that continues to prove itself as both a profitable fundraiser and timeless community builder. Make your bake sale fundraiser a success with free volunteer scheduling software and the fantastically fun ideas and tips in our free ebook!

Spring isn't just about cleaning, it also signals the prelude to finals and the highly anticipated summer break.

So I think it's high time Tidy Thursday had a student edition.

What better way to kick it off than to start with a how-to-be-organized focused on school papers via the locker - binder - backpack!

How to be Organized :: Student Edition | Inspiration:

This week while I was at the Middle School for the Organizing Curriculum a 7th grader told me "I wish you still worked with us! I'm one of the organized ones & my locker is a disaster!"

She was right, she was one of my organized students. So much so that I considered her for a mentor program we're still formulating.

So if she is struggling, can you imagine how the rest of the student body must be feeling?

It struck me, after I gave her some ideas, that many volunteers & parents could be advocating the same concepts.

How to be Organized :: Student Edition | Strategy:

Whether a student is inately organized or needs to tap into a more creative side for solutions there are a few key things they can be doing each month or quarter.

10 minutes

A locker / backpack / binder clean out once a month for 10 minutes can go a long way.

What I told my 7th grader to do:

bring a duffel bag on a Friday

scoop your entire school life {read: locker} into it

take it home for the weekend

bring back what you need on Monday

How to be Organized :: Student Edition | What it looks like:

Weekend Task ...

with the school life pile

purge the trash

recycle expired items {ex: last semester's math test}

put active items in their appropriate locations {yes, this is filing}

tweak any systems not working

load the bag back up & restock the locker first thing Monday morning

How to be Organized :: Student Edition | Why:

After spending the last 5+ years with middle school students there are many things I've seen that cause the clutter. None more relevant than the lack of time allowed for students to take care of their "stuff".

I know, I know. Teachers are already pushed hard enough with curriculums. Administrators are already pushed hard enough to stretch their minimal budgets.

I hear you.

I walk in your hallways.

What makes my 6th grade students different by high school that other students miss out on?

How to carve time into their busy schedules for a bit of streamlining, decluttering and system tweaking.

So how can a volunteer lend a helping hand?

Offer to supervise a hallway once a week/month while students trickle in and go through their "stuff".

Most importantly :: don't judge.

It doesn't matter if the kid looks like a "Messy Marvin" or "Linus", in your eyes, what is important to understand is everyone is born with organizational skills - they just don't look the same.

My definition of Organized:

If they can find what they're looking for when they need it, then they are organized.

Acceptance of who they are breeds an exploration of what else they can accomplish.

I've seen first hand a student that was "scattered" go from a struggling student to a talented artist. Middle school students are having a hard enough time with the hormones, new format for learning and identity crisis. If they feel like they're being judged on their ability to locate homework too it can leave little room to breathe.

As always, if you are a volunteer that wants to learn more about how to incorporate the Organizing Curriculum into your district's year-of-transition from elementary level to middle school level leave me a comment below.

Make Your Church A Safe (Snake-free) Place to Serve

According to legend, Ireland was once filled with snakes. Sort of like Kansas with rocks or Nebraska with cows! Apparently (the myth tells us) the country was overrun with the venomous creatures until St Patrick drove them out.

Here's the thing about snakes. A: they are gross. But B: they sneak up on you. You may not be aware they are hiding there in the grass, or lurking under the porch, or curled up under the horseradish plant. You walk gingerly, but there is still the fear that you may come upon one undiscovered. Not a good thought!

If the story were true, St Patrick was doing Ireland a great service in my opinion. His legendary staff drove the snakes into the sea never to return. In the Bible, a staff is symbolic of authority and leadership. That means as leaders, we also have the power to drive snakes out of our midst! But, who has ever heard of snakes in church? Well, I'm not talking about actual snakes, but there are some very poisonous creatures that can creep in and cause destruction. They can poison relationships, scare people away, and strike when we least expect them.

Here are some "snakes" that may have crept in undetected...

Miunderstandings

Misunderstandings are going to happen. As a leader, you can't prevent every one, but you may be able to minimize them. Make it a strict policy to communicate openly with your team and expect they will do the same. When necessary, facilitate discussions to help others talk about issues or concerns in a healthy way. Encourage your team to talk only with those people who are involved or part of the solution. When you create a safe environment for people to speak their minds you will keep the snakes at bay.

Discouragement

This is a sneaky snake, often targeting leaders first. If you have been a victim of discouragement's bite, call for help! Let others know you need extra support and prayer. Make time to stop at remember your successes and victories both as a leader and as a team and you will begin to recover. Just don't try to go it alone.

Burn-out

The symptoms of burn out are not always obvious. But if left untreated, this bite can be fatal!

The people on your team need healthy boundaries for work, serving, family, and fun times. They may need your encouragement to enforce these boundaries. Whenever possible give volunteers the freedom to take time off, change positions (or shifts) to help keep things fresh. Holding an annual "review" with each person can help you evaluate where people are and how they are feeling about serving. This will allow you to talk openly about what adjustments would be helpful.

Fatigue

When fatigue creeps in, there is really only one solution: rest. Whether you (or a team mate) are feeling mentally, physically, or emotionally fatigued, you need to get away and let down. No one can give all the time. There must also be seasons of refreshment. Create downtimes for your self and your team by not over scheduling, building in times for retreat, and encouraging others to step in when one person needs a break.

Selfishness

Well, this snake is a little harder to drive out. When it becomes apparent that a volunteer is in it for the wrong reasons or is trying to further their own ministry and agenda, you may need to step in and take action. Direct communication--done with a humble and loving spirit--is the best way to go. While it can be difficult, it is necessary to keep the team functioning as a well-oiled, snake-free machine!

Discontent

Discontent comes when someone begins to feel bored, overlooked, and can be a sign that burn out is on the way. Gently help that person reconnect with what they enjoy about serving. Find a creative way to show them the difference they are making so they know that God is working through right where they are. Encourage them also to consider what other areas they might enjoy serving and consider moving in that direction.

Like St. Patrick, you can drive these snakes out of town and make your church a healthier, safer place to worship and serve.

Sue Brage worked in nonprofit marketing and communications for more than nine years before joining Group Publishing as Online Publisher and Editor for Church Volunteer Daily.com. Her experience as a writer, editor, and volunteer coordinator (not to mention wife and mother) gives her a unique perspective and ability to encourage and help leaders. She has a big heart for people and great passion for helping others serve their churches and communities better. Follow Sue on Twitter at @SueBrage and @CVCDaily

Benefit Auction Tips & Must-Know Terms

Say what you mean: A mini-dictionary of commonly misused benefit auction terms

While surfing the internet, I stumbled across an article talking about the use of jargon and how it can lead to misunderstandings. It got me to thinking about the terms we misuse in nonprofit auctions.

How much time do volunteers waste trying to “explain what they mean” because the auction terms change from meeting to meeting or from person to person? I’ve heard the same auction activity called different names by two school auction co-chairs. It wasn’t long before a volunteer piped up, “I’m confused. Are you talking about the same thing she’s talking about?”

Standardizing our terms brings clarity, so here’s my abbreviated dictionary of terms I often hear that lead to confusion among auction committee members.

A package is something that could be a single item, or several single items combined into something larger. Packages are then sold at the auction gala.

For instance, the donation of a bike is an “item.” It could be sold alone (thereby becoming a package) or could be combined with a bike maintenance plan and a tire pump to create a more substantial package.

The term “prize” is often reserved to describe something that a guest has been awarded for no cost. Whereas an item or a package ispurchased, a prize is free.

Case in point, a bidder who has paid $5000 for a Napa Valley package in the live auction doesn’t say he "won a prize.” Usually he says, “I bought the Napa package” or “I won the Napa trip.” In neither case does he call his purchase a prize.

Bottom line: For clarity, don’t use the word “prize” when referring to the list of procured donations that will be sold. Refer to them as items or packages.

2. The “cash appeal,” “mission moment,” “raise the paddle,” fund a scholar,” and so forth.

The appeal is that portion of the auction when guests are invited to make a donation without buying a package.

Bottom line: The name chosen isn’t as important as the commitment to stick with the chosen moniker. You don't want your auction committee calling the appeal different names and possibly confusing guests or each other. Brand the activity to your event by selecting a name and consistently using it.

3. “Oral auction” versus “live auction”

A few years ago, one of my Richmond, VA clients asked when I'd be conducting the "oral auction." I was startled! I hadn’t heard that more Southern term before.

Technically, the word "oral" is correct, but realize that most benefit auctioneers will refer to it as a live auction.

Bottom line: When in Rome, I do as the Romans. I adapted my language to match the regional differences. But be aware that “oral auctions” isn’t so common.

4. “Catalog” versus “program”

A catalog is a listing of the items and descriptions available for sale. Most school auctions have a catalog. Though other material might be in the catalog (e.g. a Headmaster welcome letter, sponsor listings, advertisements), the intent of the material is to describe the items so guests know what is available to buy.

A program is more often seen at nonprofit auctions. It’s a smaller printed piece – sometimes it’s just a folded 8.5” x 11” of paper – that might list an agenda, information about the nonprofit, a listing of sponsors, or other information.

Bottom line: If you’re using both, call each by its correct name. If you’ve combined your catalog and program into one piece, pick a name and consistently use it to avoid confusion.

Eliminate confusion when planning your nonprofit auction by using the proper terms.

Nonprofit auctioneer Sherry Truhlar, CMP, BAS, CAI has been featured in national publications for her work with auction fundraisers. She teaches volunteer chairs easy ways to improve each auction’s financial return. Start improving your gala today by getting her FREE Auction Item Guide™. It lists the 100 top-selling items that sold for over value in charity auctions last year. Grab your FREE copy athttp://www.RedAppleAuctions.com.

My Child’s Closet, Inc. is a semi-annual consignment sale featuring an enormous selection of both new and gently used upscale children’s clothing, toys, equipment, furniture, and much more. They use VolunteerSpot's volunteer scheduling software to organize the amazing volunteers who help out during this huge semi-annual sale.

Today, our spotlight shines on Tracee Wade, who uses VolunteerSpot to coordinate it's many volunteers who help out with their sales.

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Please tell us about your organization and your volunteer needs.

We are a seasonal children's consignment sale, meaning we only operate twice a year with a huge warehouse sale every fall and every spring. We offer new and gently used children's items such as clothes, toys, furniture, baby equipment, shoes, books, and dvds at deeply discounted prices. We even work with several stores in our local area selling their new items from the previous season at amazing prices! All of this happens in the course of one week so it takes alot of volunteer help to get the items inspected (we only accept clothing and toys in excellent condition), organized, helping on the sales floor, checking out customers and then organizing what didn't sell back out and cleaning everything up. We have a list of about 250 volunteers and end up with about 75 amazing helpers each sale.

How did you get started as a volunteer leader?

When I took over the sale 5 years ago, I started working to organize volunteers and it grew from there.

What’s one piece of advice you have for volunteers or their leaders out there?

Be flexible and remember that people are giving freely of their time- you couldn't do it without them! I have to remember this isn't a full time job for our volunteers so I need to be sure they realize how much I appreciate their help. I try to be flexible with their shifts and understanding if they end up with a conflict.

Why did you decide to use VolunteerSpot?

I discovered VolunteerSpot when my daughter's school librarian used it for book fair sign ups. I realized this could make my life alot easier because until this point I was either calling or emailing every volunteer individually to work out their schedule.

We salute Tracee and all the other volunteer leaders out there making a difference. If you're using VolunteerSpot, write and tell us about what you're doing and give us a chance to shine our Volunteer Spotlight on you!! Just email us at VS@volunteerspot.com.

Using Labels for Inbox Zero

In Gmail I have well over 1,500 "labels". {{gasp}} These are ways to organize the emails similar to a digital file folder ~ only better because you can label one email with as many as you need.

Example:

an email about the organizing assembly is labeled with "Organizing Curriculum" as well as "Active Clients" & "6th Grade 2012" ~ because those are the things I would be looking for if I needed to relocate it in the future

Now ... archive away. Wah-la = Inbox Zero.

Don't worry, the search capability is amazing, if I ever need to find it again.

And don't forget ~ we only access 20% of the things we file away 80% of the time.

Productivity with Inbox Zero

But wait.

What about all the emails hanging out, waiting for a response - or worse, for you to respond once you hear from someone else?

Enter {dun-da-da-dun} the "add to tasks" action!

Yes, I know. You're going to run out & get yourself a gmail account now, right?

By simply using the "add to tasks" function I created a to-do item with the email and was able to file away the one cluttering up my inbox.

See, the difficult part of Inbox Zero is the virtual out-of-sight-out-of-mind concern. But the bigger problem for most folks is the its-too-overwhelming feeling when their inbox is so full.

I know, you're wondering :: What if I don't use Gmail?

Easy-peasy.

Getting to Know You Inbox Zero

Take a look at your current email screen. What do you see? Is it high time you went exploring? Should you go on a date with your inbox? Grab a favorite beverage and click yourself into a more meaningful relationship?

If the options fall short of a productive solution you can always use your current email to get an iGoogle account. Then with a few geeky clicks you too can be enjoying Gmail, as well as, Inbox Zero bliss!

When VolunteerSpot started our Tiny Cars campaign a little over a month ago to raise awareness of the problem of the tiny volunteer mileage rate (just 14 cents a mile allowed for reimbursements or tax deductions), gas was around $3.39 a gallon – far higher than the $1.30 when the volunteer mileage rate was set in 1997.

Now, just five weeks later, gas is costing an average $3.75 per gallon and is projected to travel well past $4 by May or earlier.

Sadly, there seems to be a threshold for how much of this volunteers can take. In the last couple weeks, news outlets across the country have been highlighting problems for nonprofits unable to staff up their volunteer ranks due to the high cost of driving. Some are losing existing volunteers who, according to news reports, are being forced to choose between food for themselves and gas for their volunteer commitments.

Congress controls this tiny rate - not the IRS - and only they can take the necessary steps to fix it. The best current legislation in the House only addresses the issue of reimbursement not individual tax deduction – but it does make the rate much better.

Wouldn’t it be great if representatives in Congress seized this opportunity to provide real relief for millions of volunteers (who vote) and join in a painless display of bipartisan cooperation by fixing the Volunteer mileage rate?

Hey Congress, Volunteers Don't Drive Tiny Cars & Gas Prices are Still Rising - When are you going to fix the Tiny Rate?

St. Patrick's Day Classroom Fun

Make St. Patrick's Day a truly memorable mini classroom celebration this year with these fun and helpful resources including craft, snack, and activity ideas as well free online sign up sheets for class parents!

Kids love to wear GREEN on St. Patrick's Day

Send a paper reminder home or email parents to make sure they and their kids don't forget! Have green clover stickers on hand for those whose minds it does happen to slip.

Kaboose.com has good ol' fashioned St. Patrick's Day bingo printables.

MakeandTakes has 'lucky' craft ideas that are perfect for art time on St. Patrick's Day.

Hop over to Pinterest for more St. Patrick's Day class activity ideas!

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An easy online sign up sheet lets room parents set up needs, i.e. snacks, craft supplies, celebration supervision, and invite parents to sign up from their computer or smartphone at a time which is convenient for them. Automated reminders helps everyone keep their commitments.

Find more St. Patrick celebration ideas in our free Classroom Party ebook (pg. 18)! Thanks to Amy of TeachMama for the creative ideas!

Tags:
class parent sign up sheet, class party, class party ideas, kids activities, online sign up sheet, school party ideas, st. patrick's day crafts, st. patrick's day ideas, st. patrick's day kids activities, st. patrick's day snacks